Charly

Biography

The Indigenous people in the United States have a very special perspective on what it means to be American. The patriotism our native communities share is deep and profound and unique. The love for this land was here before the 13 colonies. Both preceded the unity of the nation and the naming of these United States. As we all live and blend together in this wonderful melting pot, the authenticity of the native voice can answer with affection and strength what it means to ‘be American’. The beauty of the question ‘what does it mean to be American’ also echoes in the beauty of the answer. As Charly Lowry and her band are all award-winning musicians, (Native American Music Awards (NAMMYS)), Josie Music Awards, Carolina Music Awards, appearances and Semi-Finalist of American Idol Season 3)) the sum of their parts answer what it also means to serve as tribal dignitaries (Miss Lumbee, Jr. Miss Lumbee, Mr. and Jr. Hawkeye Indian Cultural Center), have brown skin, to be a woman, to be involved in activism and advocacy for their tribal communities (with members marching against the Dakota Access & Atlantic Coast Pipelines, and creating songs that take a stance against the crisis of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls), to be involved with the LGBT community (serving on PRIDE Councils), and to be an American citizen.

The framework of the musical group “Charly” began taking form in 2018, when Charly Lowry (vocals/guitar/Native American hand drum), Alexis Raeana (vocals), Kyng Bea (vocals, piano), Shawn McNeill (sax, guitar, pedal steel, Native American flute, vocals), Zachary Hargett (bass guitar), Jonathan Locklear (guitar), and Aaron Locklear (drums) served as the “House Band” for the prestigious Lumbee/Tuscarora outdoor drama and folk tale, “Strike at the Wind” (“SATW!”). Debuted in Pembroke, NC in 1976, SATW! chronicles the life of Henry Berry Lowrie- a young, rebellious, and resilient Tuscarora outlaw who avenged the wrongful deaths of his family during the late-nineteenth-century Civil War. Through a collective love of their cultural upbringing in Robeson and Hoke Counties in rural, southeastern NC (with Robeson being one of the most diverse counties in the nation), the group fused their influences of Gospel, Blues, Rock, Hip-Hop, Country, and Soul music to bolster collaborative homage of tradition and what’s to come.

With the resiliency of Henry Berry, the music and energy of “Charly” aims to take American voices and uplift the global impact of the United States through song, storytelling, and activism. The presence and narrative of native history has long been overlooked and overshadowed in both American and world history. The members of “Charly” have an ancestral understanding of the freedoms and rights offered to not only Indigenous nations of Turtle Island, but to all humankind, and are using their art to actively raise awareness on behalf of marginalized communities. Through the medium of American Music Abroad, the opportunity presents itself to take a unique and truly authentic voice of the American perspective of heritage into a future rife with possibilities for creativity, collaboration, and global change.